Mother-in-law arrested after bride dies just 5 months into marriage
The mother-in-law of an Indian bride whose mysterious death sparked national outrage has been arrested as investigators continue probing allegations of dowry harassment and murder.
Retired judge Giribala Singh was taken into custody by India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on 29 May after questioning in connection with the death of 33-year-old model and actress Twisha Sharma, who was found dead at her marital home in Bhopal on 12 May.
Twisha had been married to lawyer Samarth Singh for just five months when tragedy struck.
Her parents and siblings allege that she was subjected to harassment linked to dowry demands by her husband and mother-in-law.
They have also claimed that the pair mistreated her during the marriage and that her death was not a suicide.
The Singh family has strongly denied the allegations.
The case quickly became one of India’s biggest news stories because of the prominence of those involved. Twisha was a former beauty queen and actress, while her husband and mother-in-law both had legal backgrounds.
The arrest came after the Madhya Pradesh High Court cancelled Giribala Singh’s anticipatory bail.
The court reportedly found that important evidence and witness statements had not been properly considered when bail was initially granted.
Following her arrest, investigators continued questioning her as part of the expanding probe.
Meanwhile, Samarth Singh remains in custody after his arrest on 22 May. Reports indicate he had allegedly left the area following his wife’s death before being apprehended by police.
Twisha’s family has continued to push for answers.
They challenged the findings of the initial post-mortem examination and called for a second autopsy, arguing that the first examination was inadequate.
Police denied allegations of a cover-up.
The investigation was recently handed over to the CBI, which is now tasked with determining exactly what happened in the days leading up to Twisha’s death. *_-iHarare_*
